The
brother of Johnie Armstrang is said to have founded, or rather
repaired, Langholm castle, before which, as mentioned in the ballad,
verse 5th, they "ran their horse," and "brake their spears," in the
exercise of border chivalry.--_Account of the Parish of Langholm, apud
Macfarlane's MSS_. The lands of Langholm and Staplegorton continued
in Armstrong's family; for there is, in the same MS. collection, a
similar bond of manrent, granted by "Christofer Armistrang, calit
_Johne's Pope_," on 24th January, 1557, to Lord Johne Lord Maxwell,
and to Sir Johne Maxwell of Terreglis, knight, his tutor and governor,
in return for the gift of "the males of all and haill the landis whilk
are conteint in ane bond made by umquhile Johne Armistrang, my father,
to umquhile Robert, Lord Maxwell, gudshore to the said Johne, now Lord
Maxwell." It would therefore appear, that the bond of manrent, granted
by John Armstrong, had been the price of his release from the feudal
penalty arising from his having neglected to procure a regular
investiture from his superior. As Johnie only touched the pen, it
appears that he could not write.
Christopher Armstrong, above-mentioned, is the person alluded to in
the conclusion of the ballad--"God be with thee, Kirsty, my son."
He was the father, or grandfather, of William Armstrong, called
_Christie's Will_, a renowned freebooter, some of whose exploits the
reader will find recorded in the third volume of this work.
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